Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas

2019 Cybils Poetry Nominee

Haiku and riddle combine in this celebration of the seasons.

Thoughts: Very nice! Haiku is one of my favorite poetic forms. These are clever and evocative. I have loved sharing Jack Prelutsky's If Not for the Cat with students for years. I'm thrilled to have a new option. The illustrations are beautiful--soft and detailed. My favorite poems are umbrella, bud, fireflies, fireworks, pencil, squirrel, snow, and stars. Another beauty of haiku: they are short enough to share with the youngest listeners. I love the author's invitation to readers at the end to try their hand at their own riddleku. She also has an activity sheet for this on her website.

If you like the idea of seasonal haiku, you might also check out these collections:
Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons by Jon J. Muth
Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko

Themes: Seasons, Haiku, Riddles, Elementary

Illustrated by Mercè López. Millbrook Press, 2019.